Major Victories Minor Setbacks

The setbacks started just before NYE. I was feeling this nasally, congested-not-good feeling sort of way that you feel when THE SICK is upon you. Except, I didn't really quite feel sick. It didn't morph into THE SICK but it seemed to settle into my chest by New Year's Eve.When I got home from work the tightness in my chest and ensuing coughing fits that brought no relief made me sit down with the nebulizer, hoping to shower my lungs with drugs to relieve inflammation and dilate bronchial tubes.

Every day since then I've felt worse.

But not in a "hey I'm sick" way. No fever to speak of. No aches and pains. I just can't breathe correctly. As someone with asthma that told me just one thing, an attack was in progress. That's the funny thing about asthma attacks. While the kind where you go from fine to suddenly wheezing in distress DO exist, for me I find them to be things that creep up and you go from sort of not ok to wow really not ok to hmmmm something is terribly wrong to BOOM you are in the ER with plummeting pulse ox levels and and suddenly you're being pumped full of all sorts of drugs to keep you from dying.

I decided this was a bad idea and went to the new doctor. I was a little apprehensive about going to a new doctor WHILE sick, I usually want to meet and greet when I'm well and get to know them. I feel a bit like when I'm sick, I'm in a helpless position and if I don't like them well hell I'm sick so I need them anyway.

This guy was amazing. The first thing he said after we talked was "Let's do a chest Xray" and I responded "For Asthma?" feeling like wait that's dumb. His response wasn't. "I tend to find that long term sufferers of asthma don't have a good litmus for their lung health, because your lungs never feel what others consider GOOD/NORMAL. So you can be sicker than you realize, and not even know it."

And guess? This girl has pneumonia.

I went to work with an RX for antibiotics and steroids, and with a couple of shots IN me of same to kick start the healing. I'm OFF any sort of exercise until I have finished all my meds.

BOO.

We're 8 days in and so far this year and I aren't getting along that well. Thus far:

Minor Setback: Pneumonia. I haven't worked hardly out at all in 2016 and I can't for another ten days at least. I had a lot of plans to really start pushing myself and they are delayed which frustrates me to no end.

Major Victories:

• I did a lot of research on how to eat based on my health, my body, my age etc. I decided to adjust my macros based on the fact that I've lived as "pre-diabetic" for about 25 years. Both of my parents were diabetic and I would like to be NOT diabetic so I'm really striving to prevent this through diet, weightloss and working out.
• I dropped my caloric intake just slightly also based on other research and my bodies propensity to hold on to weight. It's working well. Yay.
• My new doctor TOOK ME OFF MY BP meds. This was a major life goal for me. Almost more important that weight loss, I wanted off this pill. My blood pressure was so low yesterday he said "Why the HELL are you on bp meds?" I explained my heart condition and he said that drugs aren't indicated for that UNLESS it's coupled with HIGH bp AND serious obesity and at my height he's amazed I'm not dizzy all the time. I said "Oh funny you should mention that...I am." 

That being said, these steroids are KILLING me today so I'm having a day of rest which is much needed. Thus, I'm off to bed so sleep, perchance to dream.

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